Cold Shoulder
by MortalKombatProdigy99
Summary: After the Deadly Alliance murders Liu Kang, Kitana is left devastated. The only one left to comfort her is Sub-Zero... will their friendship develop into something more? Rated T for coarse language, violence, and adult themes. FIRST FANFIC! Slight AR.
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares

**Author's Note: Hi, guys! This is my first fanfic! Please R&R. Thanks for your help. Hope you all enjoy it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**

**CHAPTER 1: NIGHTMARES**

The blue clad warrior gasped heavily as she awoke from her latest dreadful nightmare. Princess of Edenia, Kitana, struggled to open her heavy eyelids after sitting up in her bed. Rain was endlessly splattering on her window, and thunder was relentlessly striking, creating quite the commotion.

"_Yet another nightmare,"_ she thought, while trying to compose herself. It was early in the morning, and there was no use in getting up at the time. So, the princess laid atop her bed while staring contemplatively at the ceiling. The nightmare she had was yet another of the death of one of her closest friends and allies, Liu Kang. Perhaps they had an even closer relationship than that, but she would never know. Kitana had been devastated after losing him at the hands of the Deadly Alliance, and was unable to stop mourning of his demise. She had so much sorrow, so many uncertainties of the future and whether her allies would live or die. Her heart had no serenity.

The beautiful warrior had no true "family" who she could really turn to, and after being lied to all of her life, she was never really able to trust anyone. There was Jade, of course, yet merely the support of her best friend was not enough to fill the void that had been left within the princess. She fought the hot tears which coated her eyes like glass as she tried to return to her slumber. After some time, she finally drifted back to sleep.

* * *

><p>After donning her blue combat outfit consisting of a leotard, gloves, and boots, Kitana left from her bed to a quick breakfast, and then to the training area by a nearby river. She needed to let off some steam from the events which had recently taken place. The princess had gradually begun to question whether fighting with the Forces of Light was truly worth the losses. Nonetheless, she continued to train.<p>

As she drew her metal fans, the princess suddenly detected the presence of someone else. Assuming it was one of her allies, she decided to inquire.

"Who is it?" she asked cautiously.

When no one answered her question, she became apprehensive and shifted into a defensive stance while furrowing her eyebrows.

"Show yourself," she firmly demanded.

The princess sensed the location of the follower and swiftly threw her fans towards them. A man clad in blue froze the fans as they neared him, causing Kitana's weapons to fall to the ground. A twisted smile formed upon the woman's face.

"Sub-Zero," she said cordially.

"Good morning, princess," said the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei coolly.

"Have you formed a habit of watching me from the shadows?" she retorted.

"No, it just seemed you were so apprehensive when I arrived that I decided to mess with you," was his answer.

"Why is that so, may I ask?" she replied humorously.

"It was merely for my own amusement," he responded, slightly grinning.

Sub-Zero behaved differently around Kitana then he did with others. They had grown close after Liu Kang's death, as he had been there to comfort her during her devastation. He had lost a loved one as well, and knew what was best in helping her, as what it was like. Strangely enough, their relationship evolved so that if people were to observe their usual conversation, they would have assumed it to have been a lovers' quarrel. Sub-Zero had become a lot like an older brother to her.

"Amusement? Bah! That is not the way to treat a friend, much less a princess. Though, I would be much more amused if you would care to spar," she said.

"With pleasure," said the Grandmaster.

Kitana threw a swift roundhouse kick to the assassin's side, which he evaded and countered with a punch to the shoulder. The princess retaliated with a jab to the jaw followed by a punch in the stomach. She smirked as he let out a low groan of pain. Sub-Zero countered with a sweep to the leg.

"Hey! That was such a cheap shot!" yelled Kitana.

"All's fair in love and war," he mischievously responded.

She struck back with a hit to the neck and arm. The assassin raised his brow, and followed with a kick to the ribs and a throw, pushing her back by a few feet. She quickly recovered and as she was running back, lost her balance, and tripped onto him, dragging the two down. Both Kitana and Sub-Zero's cheeks became a bright red tint. The woman suppressed a gasp as both of their eyes widened.

"_By the Elder Gods, how can she be so damn clumsy?" _thought Sub-Zero as he began to produce an extraordinary amount of sweat from his forehead.

"_Oh, WHY? How embarrassing!" _whined Kitana mentally while blushing and sweating furiously.

After a mere second which seemed like hours, the two recovered from the ground unbelievably quickly.

"Uh... sorry," said the princess awkwardly.

"You should work on your balance, Kitana. Until we meet again," he responded, as he swiftly walked away.

The moment he left, Kitana let out a sigh of great release.

"Ugh, what a relief, he's gone," she said aloud to herself.

After completing a few more combination attacks, she prepared to leave. As the princess was leaving, Jade stepped out from behind a tree, causing Kitana to scream at the top of her lungs.

"Jade! You almost scared me to death!" said the infuriated woman, gasping for air.

Jade merely laughed at her friend, humored by how such a formidable warrior could be so easily frightened.

"How long were you standing there?" asked Kitana.

"Hmm... since right about when you started talking with Sub-Zero," replied the Edenian slyly.

Kitana rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly while stuttering.

"Uh... w-well it's not like it was on purpose or anything... don't you DARE tell ANYONE!" she commanded.

"Don't worry Kitana, you're secret is safe with me," replied Jade amiably.

Suddenly, across the calm, still river, the two young women heard a rustling in the bushes.

"That can't be good," Kitana cautiously declared.


	2. Chapter 2: Deadly Encounter

**Author's Note: I hope you guys like this next chapter! Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!**

**CHAPTER 2: DEADLY ENCOUNTER**

Kitana and Jade's focus moved towards the area where the bushes continued to rustle.

"Keep up your guard Jade," advised Kitana as both of them took on a fighting stance.

The moment the rustling stopped, Kitana's evil clone, Mileena, was plummeting through a self-made portal in the air, kicking Jade square in the face. The princess slashed her fans at the half-Tarkatan, half-Edenian, cutting deep into Mileena's arm. The clone let out a shriek of pain.

"That is no way to treat your, sister, Kitana. Won't you play with me?" she said while drawing her sais.

Kitana merely glared at the shapely woman. She hated her "sister." They may have had similar appearances (besides the mouth), but otherwise, the two were far from similar. The princess was disgusted by how she would mindlessly murder whoever Shao Kahn instructed her to, and her immature and untamed personality. She scowled at the warrior in hot pink garb hatefully, ready to attack.

"You are pathetic, Mileena. Return to your helpless emperor. The Deadly Alliance are a far greater opponent than him. Or better yet, die by my hands, right here, right now."

"Hahahahahaha! We'll see about that. No one can best the emperor! He even lent me some of his power just so I could play with the two of you! Don't worry, I won't make you two beg for mercy!" she maniacally responded.

"_Is she bluffing?" _Kitana thought, _"Hopefully Shao Kahn didn't give her too much power."_

"We'll see about that," replied Jade with a stifling glare.

With that being said, the warrior in green threw her razorang at their opponent. Mileena dodged it and chuckled. Kitana made an attempt to strike her with her fans through an uppercut, but was merely countered with a slash of one of Mileena's sais. Jade roundhouse kicked their opponent as Kitana punched her, but their efforts were futile. Kitana was punched in the stomach, and small drops of blood began to drip out the side of her mouth, staining her mask.

"See, I told you father had given me power!" proclaimed Mileena.

Mileena continued to hit both of her opponents, dodging their attacks. Before Jade was able to hit Mileena with her staff, the psychotic girl grabbed her by the neck and threw her aside, causing her head to hit a rock as she fell unconscious. Infuriated, Kitana screamed,

"How dare you? Damn you to the Netherrealm, Mileena!"

The clone merely laughed yet again and charged towards Kitana as she drew her fans in a defensive stance. As she was about to make another attempt at striking Mileena with her fans, she was stopped abruptly.

Kitana's eyes widened and her pupils dilated from the terrible pain. She let out a loud shriek from the feeling of Mileena's sai piercing straight through her body. The stab was followed by a kick and punch to the face. As Kitana reached the ground, Mileena said brazenly,

"Does it hurt, sister?"

She yanked the sai out of the princess' stomach and raised it above her head, aiming for her chest. A disoriented Kitana gazed in horror, fearing for her life.

"_This is it,"_ she thought, _"I will fall just like my allies. I was stupid to waste my time on false hope."_

Mileena took off her mask, showing her appalling teeth. A wicked smile formed upon her face.

"Farewell, sister," she said smugly.

The last thing Kitana saw before being taken by sleep was Mileena with her sai in the air, ready to strike, frozen when ice had cascaded down her body, and after breaking from the ice, escaping through a portal.

* * *

><p>Kitana slowly lifted her eyelids, unsure of where she was. As she looked around, she saw many of her allies, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Sonya, Jax, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Li Mei, Kenshi, and Sindel.<p>

"Where am I?" she asked wearily.

Raiden replied, "Kitana, you're awake. We are in the Edenian palace. After Sub-Zero stopped Mileena, we came here."

She began to recollect the battle with Mileena. Looking to her side, she saw Jade, fast asleep.

"What of Jade?" she asked.

The thunder god's eyes shifted to the woman in question.

"She will recover soon. Her wounds are not as great as yours, but she has fallen ill," he responded.

The princess frowned and rubbed her temples. Her head was pounding. She had so many questions. How had Mileena become so strong? What was Shao Kahn planning? The inquiries rushed through her head as she pensively considered the possibilities. Before she could ask her questions, Raiden stopped her with a gesture of his hand.

"You need to get some rest. We can talk more of what we plan to do later. For now, the palace will be our temporary headquarters," he declared.

She nodded in agreement. With that being said, the warriors began to leave the room. Sonya stopped and said,

"I hope you feel better, Kitana. Get lots of rest."

"Thank you, Sonya," she replied weakly as she was leaving. Sindel walked to her daughter's side and said,

"My poor daughter. Rest yourself well."

The princess managed a small smile and answered,

"Yes, mother."

When her mother left, Kitana rested her eyelids just before hearing a voice call to her.

"Kitana?" called Sub-Zero.

She opened her eyes and looked to her right. He kneeled there, looking upon her eyes with a very worried expression.

"Yes?" she acknowledged.

"I'm sorry," the man said sadly.

"Why should you be apologizing to me? If it weren't for you, I would be dead," she responded.

"For not getting there sooner. I should've been faster. This is my fault," he said guiltily.

"It isn't," the princess insisted.

She closed her eyes with great sadness. He saw a tear cascade down the princess's eye.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"You have saved my life, and I have caused all of this trouble for our allies, yet you feel guilty. But the worst part is that I don't know whether our allies will live or not. Whether or not I'll live, or whether or not you will," she replied.

He thought for a moment on what she had said, and answered,

"Kitana, you have never caused trouble. In these times, you have been strong and given our friends and I strength. You cannot lose hope in our survival, because even though you fear death, I won't let that happen. I'll protect you."

Before he walked out the door, Kitana said,

"Sub-Zero?"

"Yes, princess?" he replied.

"Thank you," she stated, "For saving me... and... for giving me hope."

Her words had surprised even her. It was after she said such a thing that she realized that in those troubled times, the one who had reassured her and given her faith was in fact Sub-Zero.

**Author's Note: Hope you guys liked it! Was it too cheesy? Please review! I'll have the next chapter posted ASAP. This fic will probably be like 8-12 chapters, but I can't promise anything, it could be like 5 or less, or it could be like 20 or so. BTW I will have other stories up soon I have SO MANY IDEAS! :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Overwhelmed by Doubts

**Author's Note: Hope you like this third chapter! Please R it will help me improve my writing. Sorry this chapter is so short, there really wasn't much to say!**

**CHAPTER 3: OVERWHELMED BY DOUBTS**

Kitana's recovery gave her a lot of time to think. She meditated for weeks of her overwhelmingly complicated life. She had questions, concerns, and most of all, doubts. Her doubts would constantly disturb her. She doubted herself and her allies. Sub-Zero did all he could to reassure the princess, but even with his emotional support and encouragement, these troubling thoughts remained at the back of her head.

One of her biggest concerns regarded Liu Kang. She worried about how they would revive him, and questioned if it was even possible. She had many nightmares regarding this, and in one dream, found herself looking at him as a zombie.

"_Could this be a premonition?" _she thought to herself.

What bothered her the most; however, were these newfound feelings she had been having for Sub-Zero. He had been there for her throughout her mourning, and she felt more connected to him than before. She had feelings for the cyromancer, but she didn't want to abandon Liu Kang, nor did she think she would be able to forget about him. She was so conflicted, so unsure, and felt truly alone. She couldn't talk to Sub-Zero regarding this matter of course, and didn't have much a relationship with her mother. Even Jade, her closest friend, was ill and unable to speak with her.

Kitana was sincerely worried about Jade. Her friend had been very ill for over a month, and her condition was not getting any better. She was asleep quite often, and every night Kitana feared that Jade would fall into a never-ending sleep. Such a bizarre possibility, but she still took it into account.

She also had concerns about Frost, Sub-Zero's new apprentice. She was very confrontational, and her recent fight with Sonya was unsettling. Kitana had a hunch that Frost's intentions were more sinister than the others had expected. Would Frost betray her master and endanger one of Kitana's closest friends? There was no way of knowing, which made Kitana anxious and afraid for his well-being.

Kung Lao's recent behavior had troubled Kitana. He had become visibly more provoking than before, and for no apparent reason. She wasn't sure if it was because of Liu Kang's death or not, but it worried her. She knew that his loyalty would never falter, so for what purpose was he acting like this?

On top of all of that, she still had to worry about fighting. Shao Kahn and the forces of Outworld continued to threaten Earthrealm and Edenia. Not to mention the Netherrealm's forces, and the Deadly Alliance. Would her friends fall at the hands of these enemies? What she feared the most was if the Dragon King, Onaga, were to be resurrected.

"_Such a formidable enemy could eliminate of the Forces of Light!" _the princess would think to herself.

On one day of her recovery, all of these worries really sunk into the princess' mind. Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Jade, Frost, the Forces of Darkness, all of these concerns tormented her. They floated through her head endlessly, and she couldn't help but feel vulnerable at the time as she recovered for such a long while. She felt helpless, unable to assist her allies. What was she to do? She got even less sleep than she would on a usual night. But then something occurred to her.

"_Sub-Zero," _she thought, _"He'll protect me. He always has." _

That was the one thing which allowed her to sleep that night. And after she embraced this, her eyelids slowly began to close, and she was taken by sleep.

**Author's Note: So, how was it? Hope you liked it! I'll make chapter 4 longer to make up for this short chapter. :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Ulterior Motives

**Author's Note: New chapter! :) Hope you all like it; this took me forever to write!**

**CHAPTER 4: ULTERIOR MOTIVES**

Unbeknown to Kitana, the night after the previous one would be very different, and emotional reassurance would have no effect. During the day; however, she was actually fairly happier than usual. She had recovered enough to be able to walk around and resume daily activities.

Kitana was clearly a morning person. She preferred dawn from dusk, and considered sleep a waste of time. Especially since she constantly reflected and contemplated on her concerns at the end of the day. This particular morning; however, the princess slept far past her usual time.

As her eyelids slowly lifted, she blinked in reaction to the light which was seeping through the curtains of the window. She let out a large yawn while stretching her arms and legs. Kitana slowly shifted out of the bed and fixed the sheets and pillows, then headed out the door to the room. She still wore a bandage around her waist where she was primarily wounded. The other injuries had healed already. Luckily, no scars were left thanks to her Edenian heritage, which allowed her to heal quickly. She got dressed into her usual clothing, besides the mask. The woman had been through so much fighting that her mask had become in a way her second skin.

Many of her friends cordially greeted her, and the palace guards followed suit while bowing to her as she passed by. The palace was a vast area, and Earthrealm's warriors were scattered throughout the grounds. As it had before, Kung Lao's glare and strange behavior had set the princess at unease. His stare seemed to melt through her. The princess did her best to look away, but found it quite difficult. It didn't help to see Sindel. When her mother died, Kitana felt abandoned, alone with Shao Kahn, and she resented her for it. They never had much of a relationship, even after being reunited.

She walked to the breakfast table, where most of the warriors had already seated themselves. She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Jade. On most days, her friend would remain in bed and she would bring her breakfast. She was showing signs of recovery, such as a regulated temperature, lessened coughing, regular breathing, and more of an appetite. This gave her friends peace of mind. The princess walked across the room to seat herself next to Jade and Sonya.

"Good morning, Kitana," said Jade as the princess took her seat.

"Good morning! I'm glad you're feeling better Jade," said the princess, addressing the two.

She grabbed some toast and began to eat along with the others. After all she had been through, Kitana was always alert, observing her surroundings. She examined the room. The table was large and rectangular, made of a dark wood, and plates were neatly scattered across the table with food. She looked across the table to see only one empty seat. A subtle grin adorned her features as she realized whose seat it was. It was Sub-Zero's usual seat.

"_He's never been a morning person. It's nine o'clock and he's probably still sleeping like a baby," _she thought to herself.

With this thought in mind, she involuntarily let out a slight chuckle to herself.

"What's so funny Kitana?" Sonya asked after hearing her.

"Oh, it's nothing," she responded.

The two turned and stared at the place where she had been looking. She could tell that her reply wasn't very convincing considering the two women beside her exchanged mischievous looks.

"What?" she snapped.

"Ohh... nothing," said Jade playfully.

The princess let out a sigh as her cheeks turned to a heavy shade of red. Shaking off the thought, she grabbed a piece of toast, took a knife and slathered some butter onto it, and began to take small bites of it. She was interrupted halfway during her chewing when she heard Sonya blurt out,

"Ugh, it's that bitch again."

Jade and Kitana gave her confused looks, and as Kitana tried to ask 'who are you talking about,' it came out as,

"Wh-r-oo-tlkng-abo?"

Jade and Sonya burst out laughing after hearing this attempt at saying something. Kitana gave them a glare, chewing and swallowing her food.

"Who are you talking about?" she said in a loud, clear voice.

After the two had finished their laughing fit, Sonya responded,

"Sub-Zero's new apprentice, Frost."

Kitana looked across the table to see the woman Sonya spoke of walking in a rather proud manner to the seat next to Sub-Zero's.

"I've heard she's really self-aggrandizing. Didn't you get into a fight with her not too long ago?" the princess asked curiously.

"More like she attacked me," the Special Forces agent retorted.

"Hopefully Sub-Zero can teach her some modesty," Jade reasoned.

"And not to attack her allies," Sonya added.

"There's something off about her. I mean, if she actually cared about fighting Outworld and everything else then why would she be so confrontational? I think she might have some ulterior motive," said Kitana.

"Damn right," responded Sonya, "If you ask me, I don't trust her."

Kitana did not reply and just thought about what had been said. The young apprentice seemed to catch on and realize that they were staring at her, so the three looked away nonchalantly. Were Sonya's suspicions valid, or was she being paranoid? After all, Sonya never really trusted anyone. But then again, just being near Frost put Kitana at unease. Jade contemplated and concluded,

"Your suspicions do make sense, but we can't make accusations unless something actually happens. Let's just watch and wait."

The two others merely nodded in assent. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Kitana continued eating the toast until she had finished it, then moved on to some other foods. Considering she exercised everything off, the princess ate relatively large amounts of food in one setting to prepare for training and fights. When she was about halfway finished, the cryomancer which she had laughed at before arrived and began eating. His short, black hair was badly done, and reminded her of the "bed head" which Johnny Cage always told him he had. Even when he had just woken up, she noticed, he walked and spoke in an authoritative way. She turned to Jade, and said,

"So, Jade, I hear you've been feeling better. Have you recovered completely?"

"Yeah, I feel a lot better," Jade responded with a smile. Kitana was glad to hear this news, and proceeded to finish her breakfast. When Jade and Kitana had both finished, they headed out to the courtyard to begin training. The palace courtyard was very large, and had lots of greenery surrounding the center of the area. It was spacious, making it a good place for fighting. The two deeply breathed in the calm air, looking up to the clear skies.

"The weather is perfect outside," said Jade.

Kitana smiled and they started stretching, going through some basic calisthenics first. After doing so, they went through their paired kata motions many times. They continued with weapons and special moves training. At around noon, they were interrupted from their practices by Raiden. He walked over to the two and said,

"Jade, Kitana, forgive me for interrupting."

"Lord Raiden," acknowledged Jade.

"Good morning," Kitana greeted.

The two warriors bowed to the Thunder God as he approached. He greeted them with a warm smile and continued,

"We are going to begin planning our strategy of combating the Deadly Alliance tonight. Please come to the war room at sundown."

"Of course. We'll be there," replied Kitana, speaking for both of them as she knew Jade would not object. Jade nodded in agreement.

Raiden bid his farewells and walked off. The two skipped lunch, and trained extensively until dinner time. They were both exhausted, and ate plentifully. After finishing, Kitana went on her way through the palace shortly after eating.

The princess went to a balcony and sat there. She bent her knees slightly and began to watch the sun as it descended. She loved the sunset, because watching it was the only time of the day where she was truly peaceful. The rest of the day she would be overwhelmed with worries, training, or surrounded by others who were either making so much noise she couldn't hear her own thoughts, or who wanted to kill her. Even in her sleep, she would be troubled by nightmares. She had many nightmares of her past. It haunted her, and she knew that the only way she would redeem herself after all of the horrible things she had done for Shao Kahn would be to keep fighting.

Suddenly, the princess heard footsteps, and when she looked behind her, and said in a soft voice,

"Sub-Zero."

He hesitated and prepared to leave, saying,

"I'll go someplace else."

"No, it's alright. Please, join me," she replied. He walked over to her side somewhat reluctantly, looking out to the sun as it was setting.

Kitana hesitated to caution Sub-Zero of the suspicions she and her friends had been having of his apprentice.

"_Should I do it, or should I just see how it goes?" _she thought to herself.

When he noticed her staring at him, he asked,

"Is something troubling you, Kitana?"

She blushed and paused before responding,

"Well, yes. It's just that I heard about how Frost got into a fight with Sonya. A few of us are getting a bit worried. Just... be careful, okay?"

"Of course," he replied, "Frost isn't really the humble type. I'll keep her in check."

Kitana smiled and answered,

"Thanks. I probably just worry too much."

He thought about what she had said and replied,

"Sure. You don't need to worry about me."

Kitana looked back out to the sun and thought to herself.

"_Maybe he's right. I guess I shouldn't worry so much," _she considered.

The sun was almost completely down, and Kitana remembered the meeting she had to go to. She stood up and told him,

"I have to go. See you later."

"Goodbye, Kitana," was his answer.

She walked away, heading towards the war room. She met up with Jade at the door.

"Hey, Jade," she greeted.

"Hi. I guess we should go in," she replied.

Kitana opened the large doors to the war room and the two walked in, ready for the meeting. To their surprise, they saw no one. The two exchanged apprehensive looks as they walked inside.

"Hello?" Kitana's voice echoed throughout the large room.

When no one responded, they grew more and more tense. Suddenly, from behind them, Raiden said in a grim voice,

"I've been waiting for you two."

"Raiden," Kitana began, "Where are the others?" Sweat dripped down the back of her head as he walked closer. He gave a low, sinister laugh, and became covered in green light for a brief moment. She widened her eyes at what she saw, as did Jade.

"Shang Tsung!" she yelled in utter shock.

"Yes, princess!" he uttered venomously while covering her mouth from behind and holding her defenseless. Before Jade could do anything, Quan Chi appeared from the shadows, casting a spell which covered her in a faint green light, and made her eyes turn a glowing purple. She was immobilized and couldn't say a word.

"We'd like to conduct an experiment," uttered the pale, tattooed sorcerer. He continued, "Shang Tsung, what should we do with Jade?" His partner chuckled and replied,

"Any spell will do. Just make her sleep. For a _long _time."

Kitana tried desperately to break free from his grasp when she heard this, but it was no use. Quan Chi muttered an incantation which they could not understand, and as soon as he had finished, Jade fell to the ground unconscious. She tried to scream her friend's name, but it was unheard.

Quan Chi then turned to Kitana and muttered yet another spell. This time it took longer to cast. A stabbing pain was torturing her throughout her body as he cast the spell, and it was almost unbearable. When he finally finished, the two escaped through a portal as the princess' pupils disappeared and her eyes became a glowing, blood red.

**Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER! So, how was it? Hope you liked it! Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been really busy. I'll have the next chapter up soon! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: No Control

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Hope you like this next chapter! R&R as always. :)**

**CHAPTER 5: NO CONTROL**

When the feeling of torture ended, Kitana felt as if her head were burning, and soreness lingered throughout her body. Her first instinct was to turn to Jade and see if she was alright, but that was when she realized something was wrong. She tried to gasp, but she couldn't. The princess tried desperately to open her mouth and scream, but to no avail. She looked to Jade, unconscious on the floor, and was unable to move to her.

"_I have no control... over my body! I can't... move or speak in the way I want to. What do I do?" _she thought.

During her inner panic, Kitana found herself walking out of the room against her will. The first person she saw was Sindel.

"_Mother... no!" _she thought to herself desperately. Before Sindel could take so much as another step, Kitana's fans had been thrown straight at her, barely missing her face. In shock, the Edenian queen yelled,

"Kitana! What's wrong? Why are you-"

Her sentence was cut off by a swift punch to the face followed by a roundhouse kick.

"What's gotten into you? I don't want to fight!" Sindel shouted, narrowly dodged the blows Kitana were throwing at her uncontrollably.

"_No! Mother!" _Kitana screamed to herself.

She grabbed her fans and began to flail them at Sindel, leaving a deep cut across her face. Tears began to flow down Kitana's face in agony, fearing for her mother's life, and anxious as to what Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were planning on doing with her body next.

"Pathetic Edenian! You will die by the hands of your own daughter!" Kitana yelled involuntarily with the mutated voice of her voice and Quan Chi's. The queen desperately tried to get her daughter to snap out of this trance, desperately exclaiming,

"Kitana, I'm begging you! You're being controlled! Please, stop!" Not of the princess' own accord, a malicious smile formed across her face. She delivered a final kick to the temple, knocking her unconscious.

Cage and Kung Lao heard the screams, and came sprinting to see what was going on. When they arrived, what they saw terrified them. Kitana was staring at the motionless, contorted figure of her mother, her weapons in hand with glowing red eyes and a twisted grin.

"Kitana! What's gotten into you?" Cage yelled.

His response was a wicked laugh and a response in the same mutated voice as before,

"You will fall as she did!" before using her fan throw to knock Kung Lao to the ground.

"_Cage! Kung Lao! Run! Run!" _she desperately screamed in her mind, while striking Cage over and over again with her fans. Kung Lao got up from the ground and made an attempt to punch her, but his arm was only grabbed and the hit was countered. Cage, witnessing the incident, told his ally,

"Kung Lao, she's being controlled! We can't hurt her!"

"I've already figured out that much!" the monk retorted.

"_Damn it! How dare these bastards make me do this to my friends?" _she thought to herself as she knocked out both Kung Lao and Johnny Cage. They had increased her power exponentially, yet she had no control of her actions. Kitana was overcome by a mixture of feelings as the events unfolded: anger, hatred, worry, sadness, and insecurity. The fact that she was merely being utilized as a helpless tool to strike down her own comrades sickened her, and she felt so weak. Not being able to do something about it was what bothered her the most. Being trapped, not knowing what to do was the worst feeling to the princess.

One by one, she involuntarily struck down her allies, each of them desperately begging her to break out of this ludicrous trance. Her limbs would move, and she had no idea what her body was going to do next.

Meanwhile, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi remained in a safe area, smirking as they watched the events unravel. The sorcerer from the Netherrealm used mental commands to manipulate the princess' words and actions while the two watched her knock out each of her friends one at a time. Shang Tsung snickered and told Quan Chi smugly,

"Quan Chi, it was an excellent idea to manipulate the princess into attacking all of her own friends. They're so pathetic!"

"Yes. They were so easy to find. The Edenian palace is such a large fortress, they made it too easy for us to locate them," Quan Chi replied haughtily.

They monitored the palace through an enchanted basin, pleased with their work.

Even though Kitana was relieved that her friends were only injured, rather than dead, she still felt horrible as she relentlessly attacked. Several Edenian palace guards had been killed when they came to investigate the scene, and she felt so ashamed for attacking her own people. Tears streamed from her glowing red eyes down her expressionless face as she incapacitated everyone in her path. When she had reached the main chamber, the only warriors left standing were Raiden, Ermac, Ashrah, Kenshi, Li Mei, and Sub-Zero. Rather than try to take down the group, Quan Chi forced Kitana into running out the palace doors and climbing up to the rooftop. The area was too small and unstable for all of them to battle her at once, so they agreed on going one by one.

Quan Chi laughed malevolently and declared,

"So, they have fallen into our trap. Who will go first?"

Rain, thunder, and lightning began to descend from the dark clouds above.

"_How could the weather have changed so drastically?" _Kitana thought. Realizing that there were more important things to worry about, she shook the thoughts out of her head. With all the power she could gather, she tried to move on her own accord, but found her best efforts to be futile.

First, Ashrah came to try and stop her, and was easily subdued. Then came Li Mei, followed by Kenshi, and both were effortlessly taken down. A shadowy figure then appeared. As he walked closer, Kitana stared in horror at who it was.

"_Sub-Zero! No! Save yourself!" _she screamed within her mind. He kept walking, and yelled over the loud sound of thunder and rain,

"Kitana...! Please, you have to fight it! I won't battle you!"

"Then die here, Lin Kuei!" she said in the combined voice of hers and the sorcerer's.

"Quan Chi," the cryomancer uttered to himself.

"Damn you, sorcerer!" he yelled.

She began to take the offense, throwing hit after hit at her friend. He continued to take them, refusing to defend himself in any way besides blocking.

"_Run... run!" _she thought to herself. When Sub-Zero was vulnerable and disoriented, she seized the opportunity and connected with her pretty kicks. He slammed into a pillar, sinking down to the floor of the rooftop, gashes covering his figure. The princess walked over to him, raising her fans, prepared to deliver the final strike. Just as this happened, the spell began to wear off, and Quan Chi had less control over her body.

"Sub-Zero... please... run... I have no control... go... before... before..." she barely managed to say, while still holding the fan over her head. Her body trembled as she tried her hardest to resist the spell's power.

"No," he said bluntly. She looked straight into his eyes, with confusion and pain.

"I won't abandon you," he was barely able to say, while holding one eye closed and grasping one of the wounds in his left shoulder. Just as he said that, the spell began to take over, leaving her face expressionless once again, and her body no longer trembling. The sorcerer planned upon killing Sub-Zero, and Kitana would be used as his puppet. The hesitation gradually began to leave her. She raised her fan higher, prepared to strike, with tears flowing down her emotionless face wildly.

**Author's Note: Cliffhanger yet again! Please review! Thanks to everyone who has supported me throughout the process of writing the story! :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Tears

**Author's Note: ANGST ALERT! ANGST ALERT! ANGST ALERT! I mean, only the weak at heart will be really sad when reading this chapter, but it's still pretty depressing, so... yeah. Hey, guys! Sorry, this chapter took a while. Anyways, I couldn't resist doing a songfic chapter, because this was a great song to do it with. If it's badly done, then feel free to tell me, and I'll edit.**

**DISCLAIMER: Mortal Kombat is owned by Netherrealm Studios. The song lyrics used is the English translation of the Korean song **_**Starlight Tears**_**, alternately titled **_**I'll Be Waiting For You. **_**This song is owned by Kim Yoo Kyung and her affiliates who collaborated with her on this song. I take no accountability for either.**

**CHAPTER 6: TEARS**

Kitana's heart beat so swiftly and violently that it almost pained her. Thunder and lighting sounded loudly as rain splattered what seemed to have been endlessly at the palace. She held her razor sharp fan high above her head, grasping it so tightly that her body trembled. Chills ran down her spine and her soaking wet hair was matted against her back. Her once striking dark brown eyes had become a glowing, malevolent blood-red. She stared down at the badly wounded Sub-Zero, watching him awaiting her strike helplessly.

"_No... no..." _Kitana whispered to herself desperately. Nothing was stopping her. Within moments, she knew that she would end it.

Finally, after a long period of struggled hesitation, with a downward diagonal strike, the jagged ends of Kitana's cerulean fan pierced deeply into Sub-Zero's torso, splattering blood in many directions. With a cry of pain, Sub-Zero's eyes widened and his back arched as he looked up to the dark, raining skies. After a few moments, his back loosened and his eyes began to close, first being half open, then decreasing to slits, and descending into blackness.

Appalled by what she had done, the princess dropped her fans, the metal clanking abruptly onto the ground. Each small beat sounded like a huge crash to her. Her hands began to tremble as she caught sight of the blood upon her hands.

"_This is... his blood," _Kitana thought as she stared at her red-colored hands, the color not being washed away by the rain. She closed her eyes tightly for a long moment before opening them once more.

"Sub-Zero," she whispered quietly.

"SUB-ZERO!" screamed the princess as she broke from her horrid trance. The glowing red disappeared from her eyes, and she gained control of her movements.

Meanwhile, the image of Kitana and Sub-Zero faded from the basin of which Quan Chi and Shang Tsung had been observing them.

"How could she have broken the spell?" Shang Tsung asked, outraged.

"I... don't know. It's unbelievable!"

The two sorcerers contemplated this unexpected incident angrily, twiddling their thumbs in an annoyed manner.

Kitana sunk to her knees, holding the cryomancer's shoulders. Wet tears flowed down her eyes as she stared at his motionless form. She felt as if she would vomit right at that moment, but nothing happened. The only thing which could be heard was the swift, wild tapping of raindrops and the loud booming of thunder.

Kitana looked up to the black skies, asking to herself,

"_Why? Why does everyone I hold dear have to be taken away from me?"_

She grabbed behind his neck tightly and burrowed her face into his shoulder, sobbing hysterically into his outfit.

"I'm sorry, Sub-Zero, I'm so sorry..." she was barely able to say as she continued to cry.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The white starlight envelops the tears<br>**__**The tears fall in the warm wind  
>Do you feel it?<br>This trembling, quiet whisper that is going your way **_

* * *

><p>She heard the others begin to climb up to the rooftop, and grabbed her fans, placing them back into the small partitions within her boots. Looking back at him once more, she said quietly,<p>

"Goodbye, my friend." She turned around and looked into the stormy skies, and slowly began to walk across the rooftop, sliding down the shingles and climbing down the opposite side as the others searched for her.

"_Is he dead? Everything's my fault! I was so careless!" _she scolded herself.

She began to walk into the forest, oblivious of her surroundings. She had no idea where she was going, or why, she just needed to be alone. She couldn't think clearly. She refused to be a burden to the others. She refused to be an irritable damsel in distress, unable to care for herself.

"_There's only one way," _she thought. She would leave, no longer burdening the others.

"_I don't deserve pity. There's no use for me,"_ she construed.

What she hated was that everywhere she looked, she felt like all she could think of and see was Sub-Zero's blank face, and his loving camaraderie. She wandered aimlessly for hours in the cold rain. Finally, after hours of drifting around the forest, she came across a tall, grassy hill and approached it. Kitana collapsed onto the ground, underneath the large tree which stood upon the hill. She paused and thought for a moment.

"_Fickle. Is that what I am? Changing my mind and abandoning my choice." _Her eyes narrowed.

"_Perhaps happiness just wasn't meant for me."_

She broke away from this reverie and rested her eyes. After a short amount of time, the princess was taken by sleep, her sadness of Sub-Zero still vividly lurking in her mind.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I draw you on this white paper<br>The warm smile holds me Is this love?  
>Even when I close my eyes, I see only you<br>**__**I will be waiting for you  
>I will wait for you<br>I don't want to see the tears of pain anymore  
>You let me know<br>This love that's like a lie,  
>I'll never let it go<br>Because that love is you **_

* * *

><p>Kitana opened her eyes and found herself staring at an unmarked gravestone.<p>

'What is this place?' she thought to herself. The skies were a gloomy grey, and she was surrounded by trees and a few other unmarked gravestones. Shrubbery and plants trailed around the stone and she stared at it with confusion. A cold shiver ran up her spine for reasons she could not comprehend. Sensing someone else's presence, she turned around, horrified by what she saw.

There he stood, Sub-Zero, his body covered in blood, skin rotting and a pale, grayish color, with light red eyes. Kitana opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to bring herself to say anything.

"Why, Kitana?" he yelled in a shrill voice, "After my perpetual loyalty to you, you betrayed me!"

"Sub-Zero, I was-" before she could continue, his hand was grasping tightly around her neck, holding her above the ground.

"No," he cut her off, "It's your fault I was killed!" She tried desperately to gasp for air, making a futile attempt to release her neck from his hands.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm walking in my memories with you<br>The tears fill even the deepest area of my heart  
>What should I do?<br>Even in my dreams, I miss you **_

* * *

><p>Kitana awoke in a cold sweat, barely suppressing a scream. She let out a sigh of relief.<p>

"It was... a dream... just a dream," she muttered out loud. Closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, she rested her back against the large tree and buried her face into her hand. The cold wind grazed her body, and shivers surrounded her. She asked herself: what am I? Who am I? A disheartened sigh escaped her lips.

Before Kitana could continue her thoughts, she was interrupted by a red blanket thrown onto her lap. Surprised and bewildered, she looked up to see who had thrown it to her.

Her eyes widened immensely and her body began to tremble at the sight in front of her. There, Sub-Zero stood, staring down at her. Dried blood stains were all over his body. To Kitana's surprise, he seemed emotionless.

"Here. Use it. You'll probably get sick in this weather," he said quietly. He was unaware of the natural Edenian weather resistances. Unable to think straight, she merely stared in awe at him, at a loss for words. After a few moments, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and started,

"Sub-Zero, I-"

Before she could say another word, she was cut off. He pulled himself closer to her, wrapping his arms around her back and stroking her raven hair.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I will be waiting for you<br>I will wait for you  
>I don't want to see the tears of pain anymore<br>You let me know  
>This love that's like a lie,<br>I'll never let it go  
>Because that love is you <strong>_

* * *

><p>His eyes were half-open, and an expression of slight sorrow was in his face. The princess merely stood there, frozen, her lips parted and her eyes broadened greatly. After a few moments which seemed like an eternity to both of them, she enveloped her arms around his waist, returning the hug. She rested her forehead onto his shoulder lightly.<p>

"I was so worried about you," divulged the Lin Kuei softly. Kitana began,

"It's me who should have been worried. Listen, I'm really-"

"There's no need, Kitana," he said, cutting her off again, grasping her tighter, "I'm so sorry that this happened to you." There was merely silence after that. The two closed their eyes and embraced each other securely.

"_Sub-Zero," _Kitana thought to herself.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please look at me, like the faraway stars<br>Can't you be the one that's in my heart  
><strong>__**I will be waiting for you  
><strong>__**I will wait for you  
>I don't want to see the tears of pain anymore<br>You let me know  
>This love that's like a lie,<br>I'll never let it go  
>Because that love is you<strong>_

**Author's Note: So, how was it? Sorry for the late update, time constraints are horrid. Please, please, please review! **


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